WHAT COMES AFTER THE END OF THIS

Chapter 83

Chapter 83

Yrene's PoV

Australia really was beautiful, Sydney was so aesthetically pleasing. Today we were going to the Opera House,Chase was holding my hand and pointing out different places to me as we rode on the top, open air half, of the tour bus. Chase had remembered how much I had loved dancing and had made it a point to book a show for 'Giselle' tonight and then we would have dinner at the Sydney eye later.
~*~

"Oh Chase, that was beautiful! Thank you so much! I absolutely adored it!"
"Hey, hey, there's no need to thank me, okay? There's nothing in this world that I wouldn't do for my darling." He kisses my forehead and at the same time we are approached by a young, teenage couple,
"You're Yrene Jones, right?" The girl is to much in shock to form real words and so her boyfriend does the talking,
"Yes..." I was very confused about the whole situation but nevertheless I let the boy continue,
"My girlfriend here, totally adores you, I can't begin to tell you how much so; her wardrobe is filled with outfits similar to the ones you've modelled for and for all I know, you might as well even be her screensaver."
Never before had I felt as shocked as this, true I had been modelling for my mother's and Mishy's clothing line for some time and had even given the photographer my permission to publish the shots from the recent shoot with Alyssa, but I had never been approached by a 'fan' in this manner. I didn't know how to react.

"Hi sweetie, what's your name? Don't worry I'm probably going to be as awkward as you, I've never been approached by a fan before!"
The girl's mouth hangs open,
"Are you serious?"
"Why, of course I am." I straighten my back and give the girl a hug,
"But you're so pretty! Honestly, I want to be just like you, have your body, your eyes, hair and all!" I notice then how skinny she is and the untouched hotdog in her hand.
A way of life I was all too familiar with, myself. I pulled the girl away from her boyfriend and Chase,

"You're beautiful..." I pause, waiting for her to introduce herself,
"Joanne" she pipes up.
"You're very beautiful Joanne, everyone is, in their own special way. Beauty isn't defined by the standards this world has set and trust me I have learnt that the hard way, the hardest way perhaps. Beauty, remember is always going to be in the eye of the beholder, and beauty isn't always related to how we look on the outside, how slim we are, how small our waist is, if our size is zero or ten. Those are all versions of beauty that we have been fed thoroughly throughout our lives, but we are more than that, we are more than what we look like on the outside. It's the inside that really matters, now I'll have you know that I am very well aware of what you're going through, because I've been through it too, rather I was bullied about my weight throughout elementary and middle school so much so that it took a toll on my mental health. It put me in a dark place, a very dark place, and I would never have come out of it had I not started believing in myself, had I not had people with me who would show me my real beauty and love me unconditionally. So, honey, focus on yourself, the version you want to be, not the version people and yourself have to force you to become. You're beautiful, as a matter of fact one of the most beautiful people I've ever met so don't worry, be yourself, don't restrict yourself too much, everything we have in this world other than love, is all temporary, so focus on what you have right now and be thankful for it rather than worrying about not having what someone else might or might not have, you aren't your weight or the shape of your body, you're more than that: you are what you think and how you act upon your thoughts, how you choose to express yourself and how you choose to be you."

I squeeze her hand reassuringly and give her a genuine, warm smile, while she stands there a little frozen in shock to say even the most minimal thing at this point.

"Oh and by the way, your boyfriend is a keeper, such a sweetheart." I look at him and give him a gentle wave, "Come now, they'd probably be worrying about us. I wink at her and she nods in understanding,
"Thank you so much, Yrene: you have no idea just how much strength your words have given me, the power they've invested in me. Thank you!" She hugs me and I hug her back, swaying on my feet and rubbing her back gently.